Hot Topics:

Tens of thousands march for ousted Morsi

By Tony G. Gabriel Associated Press

Posted:
07/12/2013 10:47:03 PM MDT

Updated:
07/12/2013 10:48:15 PM MDT

Click photo to enlarge

A supporter of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi, left, kisses his friend with Morsi's mask during a demonstration before the Friday prayer in Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt, Friday, July 12, 2013. Thousands of supporters of Egypt s Muslim Brotherhood group rallied in a Cairo city square, waving pictures of the ousted president and chanting anti-military slogans, deriding army chief who led Morsi s removal as traitor with one ultraconservative Salafi cleric vows to stay in the streets for years until Morsi is reinstated. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A supporter of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi, left, kisses his friend with Morsi's mask during a demonstration before the Friday prayer in Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt, Friday, July 12, 2013. Thousands of supporters of Egypt s Muslim Brotherhood group rallied in a Cairo city square, waving pictures of the ousted president and chanting anti-military slogans, deriding army chief who led Morsi s removal as traitor with one ultraconservative Salafi cleric vows to stay in the streets for years until Morsi is reinstated. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
(
Hussein Malla
)

CAIRO -- Tens of thousands of Islamists rallied Friday in cities across Egypt, vowing to sustain for months their campaign to restore deposed President Mohammed Morsi to power.

Ten days after the military coup that toppled him, however, Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and its allies appear to have failed to bring a significantly wider segment of Egyptian society into the streets on their side.

The new military-backed administration of interim President Mansour Adly, along with the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the most prominent Sunni Muslim institution, floated offers for "national reconciliation." Newly appointed Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi is reportedly promising to finish assembling his Cabinet by next week, a government official told Egypt's state news agency. A presidential spokesman has said the Muslim Brotherhood will be offered posts.

The Brotherhood remains steadfast in its opposition, saying its supporters will stay in the streets for as long as it takes to force the reinstatement of Morsi, who was overthrown July 3 after four days of massive protests demanding his ouster.

At the main Islamist rally in Cairo, the crowd poured into a large boulevard in front of the Rabaah al-Adawiya Mosque, where Morsi supporters have been camped for two weeks.

Egyptian flags, which were fewer in their previous rallies, outnumbered the usual green Islamic banners emblazoned with the Muslim profession of faith -- a move to show their movement's broader appeal.

Advertisement

Chants and slogans focused on the military, many branding the army chief a "traitor."

"We are ready to stay for a month, two months, a year, or even two years," ultraconservative Salafi cleric Safwat Hegazi told protesters from a stage.

The demonstrators there seem to have dug in for a long sit-in. Tents have been erected and toilets have been set up with brick walls for privacy. Protesters with helmets, homemade body shields and sticks guarded the site, which has drawn Morsi supporters from other provinces.

Army troops are staying about a kilometer (half-mile) away to avoid direct confrontations. On Monday, there were clashes with security forces near the Republican Guard headquarters not far from the site, with more than 50 people killed. Both sides blamed the other for the bloodshed.

Friday's call for demonstrations had sparked fears of further clashes but no violence was reported.

Now that the holy month of Ramadan has begun, when Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, many of the protesters rested in their tents, reading the Quran or sleeping. After nightfall, the crowd got renewed energy.

"We have a daily routine of prayers and Quran recitations, then marches around the sit-in," said Hassan al-Ghandoor, a tailor from the Nile Delta who arrived on the day of the military coup and hasn't left since.

"The level of spirituality of this place helps us put up with the daily difficulties," he said. "We are here for an objective, and we will stay here until it is accomplished."

Thousands more rallied across the Nile River in city of Giza, and Morsi supporters held a series of marches around the capital, converging on the main site. Protests were held in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and other cities.

The Brotherhood and other Islamists face the question of how to step up their campaign. So far, they have succeeded in bringing out strong numbers of their own ranks -- but there has been little sign of attracting a larger segment of the population.

Morsi supporters have touted their movement as a defense of democracy against a military coup that removed an elected leader, warning that the army is turning Egypt back to dictatorship.

At the same time, however, many of its leaders use the rhetoric that appeals mainly to their political base.

Those opposed to Morsi were able to bring out millions in protests that began June 30 and demanded the president's removal.

Since his fall, those rallies have tapered off, although a crowd was in Tahrir Square on Friday evening for the traditional fast-breaking meal at sunset. The gathering was not intended to be a show of strength by the anti-Morsi camp.

Boulder is pretty good at producing rock bands, and by "rock," we mean the in-your-face, guitar-heavy, leather-clad variety — you know, the good kind. For a prime example, look no farther than BANDITS. Full Story